Metamaterials are man-made materials with material properties that are engineered to achieve a desired effect. For example, metamaterials can be engineered to possess material properties which are not available naturally, such as directional or orientation dependent heat flow. Such metamaterials may allow for heat to flow past it in one direction, while reflecting heat back as it approaches in the opposite direction. Metamaterials may thereby be used to produce a heat flow gradient where heat primarily flows in only one direction. However, such metamaterials remain static in their orientation leading to a static direction of heat flow. Thus, the entire apparatus containing the metamaterials would need to be reconfigured in order to stop or change the direction of heat flow.
Accordingly, a need exists for alternative reversible thermal rectifiers for selectively orienting objects to influence the direction of heat flow.